Family Sticks Together
by Ruthabellaaa
Summary: Rick confronts Glenn about leaving watch and is thrown off kilter when his friend doesn't take kindly to his comments. Characters: Rick/Glenn,Hershel, Carl, Beth, Judith. A little scene following the end of S3E13, Arrow on the Doorpost, following Glenn and Maggie sleeping having some 'fun' when he's on watch. Warning: Contains spanking of adult by mentor. Don't like, don't read.
1. Chapter 1

Glenn glanced at the floor, rubbing at his neck nervously. Rick was pacing the room, clearly struggling to get his temper under control. Eventually he turned to his young friend, sighing. "Damnit, Glenn. What were you thinking?"

"I just…. Uh… W...we… After everything that happened in Woodbury, I just needed to be with her. We needed each other. We talked about things and it just sort of happened, but I couldn't, y'know, not with Walkers watching us…"

"You mean to tell me you stopped to move away from the Walkers, but you still neglected watch duty? Glenn, this isn't some joke. This isn't funny. I trust all of you to keep this place together when I'm not here."

Glenn winced. "I… I know… It… I didn't mean to get carried away. We just needed to blow off some steam after everything that happened…"

Rick sighed, scratching his stubble. He wanted to be furious at the kid for neglecting his duties, but in the back of his mind, he knew he was only leading this group because the Michigan native had saved his life back in Atlanta, when this all started. He _owed_ the boy for saving his life when it could so easily have gone differently. Added to which, he knew he hadn't exactly been giving the group all his attention. It had just been so darn hard when Lori had… Rick shook his head, clearing away those thoughts. He couldn't think about that right now. He'd been slackening off and he needed to step up to the plate right now.

"Man, I _know_ it's hard, and of course you wanted to be with Maggie, but there's a time and place for these things and-"

"Jeez, it was _one_ small slip-up. Let it go already." Glenn didn't usually interrupt people mid-sentence, but there were so many emotions going through his head right now, he really didn't need Rick to dump his crap on him, too. People were dropping like flies around them, _every day_ could be their last, so when he was close to Maggie, feeling her body close to him, he just wanted, _needed_ to make every single moment count. And he wasn't going to apologize for it. He tried to turn away, physically putting some space between the two of them.

But Rick would have none of it. Two could play this game. He grabbed his friend by the upper arm, forcing him back into the conversation. "Glenn, you realise I can't let this go, right? You put the group in jeopardy today."

Glenn scoffed. "Oh yeah, like you haven't done that recently…"

Rick stood a little straighter and pulled him closer, glaring down. "What did you just say?"

Seizing the opportunity to shift the blame on someone other than himself, Glenn shot back, "You heard me. You're never here, and when you are you might as well not be. If anyone's putting us at risk, it's you." He tugged himself free, meeting Rick's glare with one of his own. "At least I don't leave the prison when I'm supposed to be on watch. I was nearby if something went wrong."

"Oh really? You planning on fightin' off walkers, or better yet, the _Governor_ naked as the day you were born? Hmm?"

"Shut up. You know what I meant. Where the hell have you been anyway? We've _needed_ you and you just disappeared. God, Rick, we've all lost people. What makes you so special? You're so busy grieving over a woman you stopped loving months ago, that you're completely ignoring the people who need you. You can't just… People need you, Rick. Carl, Judith, Daryl… Me."

Rick's jaw clenched and he had to fight the urge to shove the kid back against the wall, seeing red. He thought he saw Lori in his periphery but made a concerted effort to ignore the shadow his mind was desperately trying to find. "That's enough, Glenn. We aren't talking about me."

"Yeah, but maybe we should. Where. The. Hell. Have you been?! Answer me!"

"I've been… Uh, I had stuff to take care of... Things that…" Rick stopped himself. He couldn't well say he'd been talking to his dead wife or waiting for a disconnected phone to ring. Hell, he knew he had problems, but he wasn't going to let everything go to pieces while he tried pulling himself together. "Now quit changing the subject. You screwed up, Glenn. I put you in charge of this compound and gave you a chance to step up and you didn't do that. Actions have consequences."

The corners of Glenn's mouth twitched, as if he was trying to get his emotions under control. That had been a low blow. Rick reached out towards him, hoping to reassure him that he'd meant something quite different, but Glenn pulled away angrily. "Don't." He spat, turning away. The guilt of nearly losing Maggie still weighed heavily on his shoulders _because_ of how passionate he felt about her, and he couldn't help but project it onto Rick for not saving them sooner, before things had progressed the way they had. He needed someone to blame and their previously fearless leader seemed like a safe bet. Added to which he was really still angry because he'd let Merle back into their group. Glenn needed time to clear his head, so he half shoved his way past Rick and out the door before he said more things he'd later regret.

Rick watched him leave in dismay, restlessly rolling his shoulders with a groan. Lately it seemed like everyone who'd looked up to him before was now giving up on him. Wasn't he allowed to have his doubts; to question why he was here, why his beloved wife was gone? He'd killed his best friend to save them, for God's sake. Wasn't that enough? He glanced around the boiler room, at a total loss of what to do now. There had been a time earlier this year when he would have taken a tough approach with the group easily, but he just felt lost at sea now.

Glenn's words had cut him deep, because damn it, he'd loved Lori… Fourteen years of being in a committed relationship didn't just get negated because one party was unfaithful. Plus, she'd thought he was dead, that they would never see each other again, and now that he was quite literally in the very same situation, he understood her need to be close to someone. Before she was gone, he'd only pretended to understand her motives, because they needed to move past it, together. But now there was no together, and never would be again. He looked up sadly, hoping his mind would allow him one last glimpse at his dead wife.

"I'm sorry, Lor. I thought I'd have more time. I thought I'd have time to fix things with us, once I'd saved everyone and made a home for Carl, Judith, you, us… Please forgive me. Help me. I don't know what to do anymore… I'm sorry…" He whispered, tired, frustrated tears making tracks down his grimy face. The Georgia sun was hot 'round here, and the air humid. It felt like no matter how quickly he showered and changed clothes, his shirts just ended up soaked again within what felt like moments. The weather had always been similar, but somehow it seemed so much worse nowadays. Then again, everything seemed worse… With a sigh, he wiped a tired hand over his face and went to scout the perimeter. At least that was useful… He'd hopefully figure out what to do with Glenn while he was out there.

center***/center

Glenn heard movement behind him but didn't look up, assuming it was Rick to have another go at him. After a moment of silence he sighed, surprised by the quiet. He glanced over and realised it was Hershel who'd come to perch on the low wall nearby.

"How you holding up, son?"

Glenn grimaced, shrugging. He wasn't sure why, but ever since the older man had told him he saw him like a son, Glenn had found himself responding to the other man's offer of mentorship and reassurance. He loved Maggie, and it felt so good to have a father figure and mentor. Rick had been his idol back at the farm, even back at camp… But then he'd let Merle into the prison, even after what the redneck bastard had done to them.

Hershel watched as an array of emotions crossed his potential son-in-law's face and knew the boy needed to talk to someone. He sent up a silent prayer that Glenn would open up to him and settled in to patiently wait until he was ready to talk. He didn't expect the kid's face to crumple so soon. "I had a fight with Rick," Glenn admitted quietly, looking at the ground.

"Oh?" Hershel responded mildly, raising his eyebrows.

Glenn sighed. "He… Uh… He found out that Maggie and I had left the watchtower unattended. We got a little distracted… It was my fault though, I was on watch but I just… Things are finally improving between us…" He knew it should feel weird to talk about sex in front of his partner's father, but Hershel was quite unlike any prospective father-in-law he'd ever met.

Hershel sighed inwardly. He wasn't surprised it had happened, under the circumstances. It wasn't the first time they'd been caught, though usually Rick and co were fairly understanding about it all. If it wasn't for the threat of attack by the people of Woodbury, the farmer highly doubted the group's designated leader would have taken issue with it, especially in his current state. He remained quiet though, suspecting Glenn knew that as well as he did.

"I just don't think he has any right to judge any of us for our choices right now."

Hershel nodded thoughtfully. "You going to tell me what's really on your mind, son?"

Glenn was silent for a while, considering his words carefully. Eventually he breathed deeply and continued. "I just… I understand that he's going through hell right now, but aren't we all? We've all lost people. I've lost friends and family too and I've not fallen apart. He's always been the reliable one; the one you could trust and respect and who'd always be there and not resent you for needing help. Shane… Shane was pretty steady, but he could be such an ass."

Hershel snorted softly beside him. It was no secret that he hadn't seen eye to eye with Rick's partner. Silence surrounded them and for a moment Glenn missed the distracting chirp of the birds that had sung around the farm, even in the midst of hell on earth. He missed the farm. Things had seemed simpler then and he'd known where he stood. It had felt like having a home again. The prison was secure and an improvement on the wilderness, but it also acted as a constant reminder of everything that had happened in the past eight months.

He swallowed to clear the lump in his throat, speaking quietly enough that Hershel had to strain a little to hear him. "I just expected better of him, I guess. I really thought he'd come to save us, but he let that… that jerk in. Like he was one of us. He'll inever/i be one of us, not after what he did to Maggie."

"Think about that for a moment, Glenn. I would give anything to protect my girls. _Anything_. I…"

"I know you would..."

"Let me finish," Hershel interrupted, patting the wall beside him. He waited until they were side by side before continuing. "Knowing what the Governor did to both of you makes me want to hurt him. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you're like a son to me. I know you love my Maggie, and I know you would have done anything to spare her from what she experience at Woodbury. She knows that too. She's stubborn, my girl, and she wouldn't have let them hurt you if she could stop it. But you need to consider this from Rick's viewpoint. Think of Daryl. We nearly lost Daryl too because he couldn't give up on his brother. I know it's difficult, and I don't blame you for feeling angry. You're right to be angry about what he did to you. That said, there is more to consider here, I'm afraid." He paused for a moment, to allow his words to sink in before he continued, "We've all made sacrifices this past year, in favour of hope. I refuse to believe that humanity will fall to this. Merle has made a lot of mistakes, Glenn, but I refuse to believe he's beyond help. If God made him, then I refuse to believe he was a mistake, despite what he's done."

Glenn was frowning at the ground, biting his lip. "But Hershel… Rick could have at least talked to me about it. He hasn't even asked if we're okay! He didn't talk to us about Merle, he just decided. I thought I could trust him…"

"That's a decision that only you can make. I can't make it for you, but I would ask you to consider the sacrifices that man has made for us. He took Shane down to save our group. He led us here. While I think he made mistakes where Lori's concerned, he did the best he could by us in the circumstances. That man has one of the strongest moral compasses I've seen in a long while and y'all better believe he tries to do what's right every single time. I bet he's got a reason behind his decisions that we don't realise, he cares about everyone in this group and he of all people wouldn't toss us aside for an outsider. It's your decision whether to trust him, but think about the bigger picture, son."

Glenn nodded thoughtfully, trying to process the older man's words. "I'll try. I guess it's just hard seeing him like this."

"It is. I have faith he'll make it through, but he'll need us to not give up on him. I think it would do you good to speak to him about things, clear the air. He's a fair man, I think he'll understand."

"He's not interested in talking. Not like he used to be. What he says goes and that's the end of it."

Hershel smiled, reaching out to pat the Korean's thigh in reassurance. "He can surprise you. His sense of right and wrong is too strong, whether he says this isn't a democracy or not. If I know Rick, he's kicking himself internally for hurting you like this."

"You think so?"

"I do. Like I said, talk to him. He might surprise you. And Glenn?"

"Yeah?"

"It was stupid leaving your post during watch. How would you feel if we'd been attacked so you could give in to desire for ten minutes?"

"It only took…"

"I don't need to know the specifics. She's still my daughter. All I'm saying is that if I know you as well as I think I do, you would be distraught if you thought you'd breached our defences and left the people you care about vulnerable. If Maggie had been hurt, or Beth. Rick knows that too. You young men think you gotta do everything in silence and look strong and macho. People have a lot of respect for a man who can admit he made a mistake and who wants to learn from his errors. You'll work this out, I believe in you."

Glenn smiled weakly, surprising Hershel with a hug. "Thank you," he whispered before pulling back and sighing. "I guess I should go find him…"

"Take your time, get your thoughts together. He isn't going anywhere. Neither are we." Hershel stood with his crutches and squeezed Glenn's shoulder before turning and heading back indoors. Glenn watched him go with a sigh, resting his head against the fence beside him. He'd always hated conflict and this new life he was leading had already forced him to change and steel his resolve more than he wanted to. He decided to take Hershel's advice and wait a little longer before he tried to approach Rick, just in case the older man was still angry.

center***/center

Rick looked up from where he was checking the fences were secure, surprised to see Hershel hopping towards him. "Hershel," he called by way of greeting. "Everything okay?"

"It's a nice day out here today." The old vet lowered his voice as he came closer. "It feels good to enjoy the feel of the sun on your face knowing you're safe from walker's attacking you."

"Hmm" Rick remarked noncommittally but Hershel didn't miss his friend's muttered comment about walker's not being the enemy anymore.

"I hope you don't mean Glenn, son."

Rick looked at him in dismay, "You heard about that, huh?"

"Of sorts. Maggie seemed upset when she came to the common area earlier. Well, more so than usual these days. I got a feel for what had happened and figured things had gone south when neither you nor Glenn reappeared."

Rick grimaced. "He didn't appreciate me interfering. Then again, I can't really blame him. It's not really my place now, is it?"

"Why not? You're still the leader of this group. It's as much your place as anyone else's. Actually, I think he needs you to stop avoiding us. He's taking this situation at Woodbury badly, Rick. Now, I can't go speaking his mind, but you two have always been close. He needs a friend and mentor now more than ever. I understand you're hurting right now, but you need to step up to the plate or I'm afraid this group will fall apart."

"I can't… I don't know what I'm doing any more. Everything's all wrong now."

"When I lost my Josephine, I didn't think the world could go on without her. Hell, if it hadn't been for my Maggie, it wouldn't have. She needed me. She still does…" Hershel sighed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I know it hurts, but you have two children who need you now more than ever. You have a family here, with us. It sounds awful cliche but it does get easier, son. Not for a while, but you find reasons to live beyond the pain. There's always hope."

"Is there though? What are we doing here?" Rick cast his eyes across the prison grounds. "We're all dying, whether it's today or tomorrow. It's just a question of how."

Hershel contemplated for a moment, then answered, "When you brought Carl to me after he'd been shot, Lori wanted you to let him go. Despite being his mother, she was ready to give him up, but not you. You fought for that little boy's life because you refused to believe there was no hope left for him. Why should he deserve to have no hope now?"

For a minute, Rick just stared at him. Sure, Hershel was known to be honest, but he hadn't expected anything quite this blunt. Rick was silent, unsure how to respond to that. He sighed after a moment, shrugging. "I don't know. I just don't know any more, Hershel. I don't know what to do about Michonne, and I don't know how to make all this right. I led us here and Glenn and Maggie got hurt. Maybe Carl was right, maybe I should step down."

"I don't believe that. I think you place too much on yourself, Rick. I know you didn't ask for this, but you're a natural leader and we all trust you with our lives. Glenn needs to know that you still care. I faced many arguments with my girls - especially Maggie - because they needed my attention. They needed me to see them and confirm I was there and constant and that I would protect them. Glenn's just been through an ordeal that I can only imagine having to go through. He needs to know he's safe and that this family has him. We might have all been thrown together in desperation but we are a family now, Rick. Don't withdraw from us now, not after everything we've faced together."

Rick didn't speak but Hershel could see his words were permeating the younger man's tough walls. He sighed, standing up straighter. "Well now, this old leg of mine could do with a rest. I think I'll head inside and check on Judith. Talk to him, Rick. You can sort this easily enough."

With that, Hershel took his leave, recognizing that Rick needed time to think about what he'd said and to decide how best to make amends with Glenn.


	2. Chapter 2

Glenn stood in the doorway of the cell block for a few moments, trying to ignore the sweat trickling down between his shoulder blades in the Georgia heat. He watched as Rick rocked Judith to sleep quietly and fought a bittersweet smile. His earlier anger stirred up fresh guilt in him as he saw a faint glimpse of the cop who'd led them safely to the Greene farm earlier that year.

He must have let out a sigh because Rick turned round to glance at him, offering him a small smile. "One minute…" The older man said, turning his attention back to his daughter and humming quietly. "Sleep time, baby girl. That's it. Close your eyes now, I'm here."

Judith blinked stubbornly for a couple of minutes longer but soon fell asleep, much to both men's relief. Rick carefully placed her in the crib Carl had acquired on their recent supply run back home, proud of his eldest for being so resourceful. Judy stirred a little as he tucked a blanket round her but didn't wake. Rick watched over her a moment longer before turning to address Glenn, "Let's go elsewhere, I'll get Beth to check in on her soon."

Glenn nodded mutely, feeling butterflies take flight in his stomach as he followed his mentor through to the communal area. Beth and Carl looked up when they entered. "Hey, Beth? Could you check on Judith? She's sleepin' but I don't wanna leave her alone too long, just in case. We got some stuff to sort…"

Carl stood up, "I'll come help…"

Rick shook his head, holding up a hand to stop him. "No, that's okay. Carl, no. I need you to stay here and look after your sister."

"But, Dad… I can…"

"Look after your sister, Carl. You got it?" In moments like this Rick wished his son was a little less stubborn, or more aware of his surroundings, so he knew when to fight and when to just do as he was damned well told.

Carl huffed in disbelief, glancing away angrily, then sighed with a nod. "Fine." Rick watched with a growing sense of resignation as the 13 year old stamped off in the direction of where his sister was sleeping. "Hey, Carl?"

Carl stopped stiffly, turning to glower at him. "What?"

"Don't wake her up or we're gonna have a problem," Rick informed him, pointing between the two of them in warning. "Got it?"

"Sure, whatever."

Rick let him go; experience had taught him that his son was stubborn as a mule and it wasn't worth the fallout of arguing with him over something so miniscule. He shook his head with a sigh. He sure missed the days when Carl had looked at him like he was the greatest man in the world. The circumstances they'd found themselves in had dictated so many of the choices he and Lori made about their son and although he knew he'd had to be tough and force his son to grow up, he regretted that his son was growing up way ahead of his time.

He tilted his head towards the door, beckoning for Glenn to lead the way. When they were out of earshot of the others, Glenn turned to look at him. "Where?"

"Boiler room. We should be able to talk in peace down there." Glenn felt a little perplexed at hearing that. Sure, they'd be undisturbed all the way down there, but it wasn't like he was expecting a shouting match that required that much distance.

They made their way through the maze of dimly lit corridors together in silence, eventually coming to the door that led down to the boiler room. Silence stretched out between them for a while until Glenn couldn't stand it anymore and swallowed nervously, starting to speak. "Look, Rick, I… I was angry earlier. I shouldn't have said some of the things I said and, um… I'm sorry."

Now that he'd had sufficient time to cool down, he just wanted to move on, get this whole ordeal behind them. But something about the look on Rick's face made him feel… unsettled. Rick held his gaze silently until Glenn looked away and back again in frustration. "Aren't you gonna say something, too?" It sounded lame, but right now, it was all he could think of.

After Hershel's pep-talk, Rick's confidence was not quite restored, but he felt back on track. If the group needed him to be a leader, he's just have to man up and do it. "Apology accepted," he said, but the stern look on his face conveyed quite a different story. "And Glenn - you were right. I've been distracted and y'all deserved better than that. But I've had some stuff going on. But regardless of that, _you_ shouldn't have left watch duty. We take turns on watch for a reason, to keep this group safe. I need everyone here to take it seriously."

"I know that. Rick, I do. But life needs to be about more than just surviving. We gotta live too…"

Rick sighed and stood a little straighter, clenching his jaw and pinning Glenn with a steely gaze. He knew some of his choices since arriving at the prison hadn't been the most popular and it was true that he barely recognised the man who looked back at him in the grimy mirrors at the prison now. Though he didn't like how he'd had to change and become cold against the realities of the life they now led, he knew that it was keeping them alive and at the moment he knew he needed to make an impression with Glenn that would keep them all safe in the future.

As their leader, he'd stepped in a few times and had taken members of the group in hand - quite literally - , but it wasn't common knowledge that he meted out some discipline when he thought it was necessary. It wasn't because he was on an ego-trip, but because of the circumstances none of them had chosen. Hard times required hard measures, but it also meant that - instead of bearing grudges and having petty arguments over the same shit for months - they could just deal with an issue, and move on. Mostly it also helped to alleviate guilt, and if the current look on Glenn's face was anything to go by, he carried around plenty of that. Better let it out before things got bottled up only to explode at another time. Part of Rick wasn't sure how he'd managed to keep it quiet for so long, but he'd found ways to avoid drawing unwanted attention to those kinds of situation; supply runs had been the ideal reason to leave camp and it had often been easy to insist that only two of them went, given the small size of the group. He didn't like splitting up the group unnecessarily, and he hated leaving Carl to defend the group at thirteen years old. Then again, there were a lot of things Rick Grimes didn't like about this pandemic.

"I know that, Glenn. But you have a responsibility to protect your family here. We all do. I said there'd be consequences, and I meant it."

Glenn looked at him in confusion. "I don't get it. What do you want to do? Kick me out?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Rick placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Of course not. We're family here."

"Then what?" Glenn felt at a loss. Sure, he'd expected an argument, but he hadn't expected Rick to throw a curveball at him either.

"I can't just let this slide", Rick said softly. "My method is a little… unorthodox. But it works. In life and death situations we don't have time for holdin' grudges or dragging things out." Rick paused, knowing he had to sell the next part on the first try if he didn't want things to go pear-shaped. "I'm going to tan your hide. Wait, listen a minute," he placed his other hand placatingly on Glen's other shoulder, not allowing him to take control of the discussion. "When I was younger, that's what happened when you shirked your responsibilities. It's not fun and it'll suck for us both, but it works and when it's done we draw a line and start again."

"What? _No way_ ," Glenn said in disbelief. Yes, he'd wanted Rick's guidance, but this? "There has to be another way."

"Afraid not. Either you accept consequences or I'm going to have to take a harder stance on this, Glenn. I won't risk this community to your desires. This isn't the bleachers or the bike sheds. This is real life, life and death."

Glenn glared at him angrily and tried to break loose, but Rick held him firmly in place. "How is this okay? _He_ tried to kill me and you let _him_ in with welcome arms with no backlash, but God forbid I kiss my girlfriend and you react like this? What the hell, man?"

Ah, so the real reason why he was so angry had finally come out. Rick felt immensely relieved, and he knew he was on the right track. "I'm holding _you_ accountable because I care about _you_. Damnit, Glenn, _I care about_ _**you**_. I don't want you to become walker bait, and I don't want you to be left with the guilt of knowing you made a mistake or having the blood of your friends on your hands. This may not seem like a big deal now, but what if you take five minutes to 'kiss' your girlfriend in the future and it goes wrong? We can't risk that. _I_ can't risk that, and I won't risk you."

Glenn swallowed and blinked back tears. It had been months since he'd seen Rick speak like that. He thought about it for a few moments, eventually inquiring carefully, "If I agree… That's it? You won't stay mad at me?"

Rick recognized the underlying fear in Glenn's voice and managed a reassuring smile, cupping the side of the younger man's face. "I promise. I'm a cop, you can trust me."

Glenn answered with a small smile. The situation was odd, but he trusted Rick. A part of him wanted to blurt out why he didn't take Carl in hand like this, but his common sense said, 'time and place, bro,' so he thought he'd keep that one for another time. Right now, he had trouble of his own. "Um, I don't know what to expect here… My parents weren't really… hands on?" The korean admitted in embarrassment.

Rick had to suppress a grin. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. You must have been less of a wild card than Shane and I were growing up. He was always leading me down slippery slopes that almost always ended up with us in deep shit. Mostly him, he had the craziest ideas…"

For a moment, raw pain was reflected in his blue eyes as he thought back on his best friend's death and all the good memories they'd had together before the outbreak. He felt lost without Shane there to play bad cop to his good. But he also knew his partner would have been furious to hear anyone had neglected watch duty, even for the throes of passion. Rick could only wonder how many times Shane and Lori had done the same and the thought alone made him feel as if he'd been punched in the gut. He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes for a moment until the familiar wave of furious nausea passed.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in control. "Alright, here's what's gonna happen. I'm in charge. You'll do as you're told, and this will be over quick. Understood?"

Glenn nodded, though parts of him just wanted to run for the hills. Which were full of walkers, so he was probably safer here.

"Good," By now, Rick could read his people pretty well and he hadn't expected Glenn to talk back. "I'll be using my belt, and you'll stay put until I say otherwise. See that workbench over there? Go ahead and bend over that. Lose your jeans but you can keep your boxers."

"Aw, Rick…"

"I wasn't asking." With that, Rick released him from his hold and looked at him expectantly.

Glenn cringed but wisely nodded. He wasn't sure why he was scrambling to obey such a ridiculous command, but at the same time he couldn't think of anything to say in his defence. Rick had led them this far and he trusted the cop with his life, even if it meant being subjected to the ultimate embarrassment. He paused suddenly, turning back to Rick with wide, worried eyes. "Wait!"

Rick raised his eyebrows, hands hooked into his gun belt.

"Uh, M….Maggie… What, uh…"

Rick shook his head. "This isn't about Maggie. It was your watch, you should have said no. I'm not happy with her for what happened, but this is on you today."

Glenn nodded, sagging in relief. Sweat pooled on his forehead and trickled between his shoulder blades as he moved towards the bench. He fumbled with the button on his jeans but eventually he managed to unbutton and unzip them, then tugging them down in desperate jerky movements. Taking his pants off for Maggie was definitely more fun, and he dreaded what would happen next. He leant over the bench and braced himself on his forearms, inhaling oxygen in slow breaths.

"See where your hands are now?" Rick said, not waiting for an answer. "Keep 'em there." He undid his belt, well aware that Glenn was looking at him, wide-eyed, like a deer caught in the headlights. "Because it's your first time, I'll be lenient. You're getting twelve."

Glenn had to suppress a shudder. Rick sounded like he'd done this before, and he had to admit, he was scared. Suddenly, the older man stepped closer, and his heart started beating so loud, Glenn was sure the others could hear it upstairs. The others. Glenn hoped nobody would come looking for them now, or he'd probably just die of mortification. Then Rick's hand was on his lower back, pushing him down, and he squeezed his eyes shut, dreading the pain he knew was coming.

"You're doing good," Rick said. "Now stay put." With that, he brought the belt down hard across his friend's backside.

Glenn let out a surprised grunt, his body instantly reacting to the pain. He'd managed to keep his legs still, but his head and torso had involuntarily jerked up. Rick's hold on him had remained firm, and he tried to settle back down. His body was shaking, but Rick allowed him a minute to settle back down. Then another hard lash licked across his butt, and he had to blink back tears.

"Why are you in this position?" Rick's hand moved across his back, but if that was supposed to make him feel better, it wasn't working. "You know why we're here," Glenn replied, hating how shaky his voice sounded.

"Uh-huh, I do," Rick said patiently. "But I'd like to hear it from you."

Glenn clenched his teeth. Now was really not the time for talking. "Because I was supposed to be on watch… and I left my post." He'd agreed to have his ass kicked, but he really didn't think he needed a lecture right now. Or to list his transgressions. So far, he'd 'only' gotten two, and they hurt enough to make him not want to be there.

"That's right. And we both know you can do better than that. And _that's_ why we're here." With that, Rick commenced punishment. This time, the whacks came closer together, and Glenn reacted to each one with a pained yelp. He dug his fingers into the workbench, knuckles white against his skin as he tried not to break position.

"Not so HARD," he yelled, after a particularly nasty lick set the undercurve of his butt and his upper thighs on fire. He tried to reach back to protect himself and Rick paused.

"Glenn?" The warning in Rick's voice was clear, as was the hand that pressed down a little harder now - he would allow for no wiggle room here.

It took all Glenn's willpower not to beg again, and with deliberate movements, he forced his body back into position. As he'd never been gotten his ass handed to him before, he hadn't known what to expect. The pain was a lot more intense than he could handle, what with it all focussed on that one area. Since he'd had to fight Walkers, he thought he'd learnt what pain was, but you didn't just stand there like a stick in the mud when someone punched you in the face - you fought back, and right now he found it very hard not to.

Rick allowed the younger man some time to stop fighting and settle down. "Five to go. You can do this."

He wasn't sure if the words of encouragement helped, or if maybe Rick had decided to take pity on him, but Glenn did make it through the last five licks without bucking back, though he was crying by the time the horrible ordeal was over. Rick gave him time to compose himself a little, while he threaded his belt back into his pants, but before long, Glenn felt himself get tugged upright and pulled into a hug.

"You did good. Clean slate. But no more slacking off on your job."

Glenn felt confused. He wanted to pull back, but at the same time Rick's embrace felt nice, and he didn't seem to mind that he was getting tears and snot on his shirtfront, so he allowed himself to be held.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," Glenn muttered after he'd wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and felt like he could talk again.

"I know."

They stood for a while in amicable silence before Glenn cleared his throat. "I'll put my pants back on then."

"Just in case someone walks in," Rick couldn't hide his smile that time. While the younger man made himself presentable, Rick took a deep breath and decided to address the _other_ issue.

"And Glenn? About Merle…" In a flash, the Korean's face darkened, but he swallowed his anger and let the other man talk.

"I _know_ how you feel about him. I do. And I don't want him here either. But here's the thing - before he had us, Merle was the only family Daryl ever knew. After all we've been through it's short of a miracle their paths even crossed again. I wouldn't make you choose between us and Maggie. You wouldn't make me choose between you and Carl. We're stronger as a team. I can't count the times Daryl came through - for us. After all the shit we've been through, I _won'_ t turn my back on him. I can't."

"But Rick-" Glenn tried really hard to keep his temper under control. "There is not a decent bone in that man's body and-"

"And I can't hurt Daryl." As he spoke, Rick sounded close to tears. "I killed my best friend. I can't kill him, too."

If he hadn't been there himself, Glenn would not have believed this man, who sounded very close to broken, was the same man who had been confident and in control just minutes ago. Merle was a piece of shit. But when Maggie and he had needed them, both Rick, Daryl and Michonne came for them. They had put their lives on the line, and now they were all here. Together.

"Okay," he said finally. "Merle can stay. For Daryl. For us."

Rick nodded gratefully, "For us."


End file.
